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She's So Suite: The Astronomer turned CEO at Virtual Field ft. Rachel Krug
- Kristi Faltorusso
- 12 hours ago
- 4 min read
LISTEN TO THE LATEST SHE'S SO SUITE PODCAST
IN THIS EPISODE KRISTI AND RACHEL DISCUSS:
Career Paths Aren’t Linear—And That’s Okay:
Rachel’s career journey illustrates that most professional paths take unexpected turns. From dreaming of astronomy to studying sociology, pivoting to public health, and ultimately arriving at the C-suite, her story reinforces that non-linear trajectories can yield great results.
Embrace the Power of Continuous Learning:
Rachel is a strong advocate for lifelong learning, whether it’s formal education, reading, blogging, or participating in professional communities like Pavilion. Staying curious and upskilling are vital for ongoing growth.
Sometimes You Have to Do the Job Before You Get the Title:
Moving from Director to VP was Rachel’s most challenging leap. She stressed that often you need to perform at the next level (taking on P&L responsibility, leading bigger initiatives) before you’ll get the formal promotion or title, sometimes even at a different company.
Navigating the Status Quo Is a Real Challenge:
In selling disruptive tech, Rachel recognized that the greatest barrier is often people’s resistance to change. Even if the new product is a significant improvement, inertia and comfort with the familiar are powerful obstacles.
Personal Obstacles Are Unavoidable—And Surmountable:
Rachel candidly shared her experience supporting her daughter through a serious health crisis during the pandemic. She credited her supportive team and workplace culture, highlighting the importance of empathy and flexibility during personal challenges.
Remote and Flexible Work Culture Enhances Life Balance:
COVID-19 normalized remote work for Rachel, unlocking much more family time and improving her overall quality of life. She sees flexibility as a key ingredient in fostering a healthy, productive team culture.
Leaders Set the Tone for Company Culture:
Rachel and her leadership team intentionally crafted company values and a written culture statement for Virtual Field, putting emphasis not only on performance and accountability but also well-being, psychological safety, and trust.
Great Company Cultures Are Built Deliberately—And Leadership Matters:
She draws a contrast between the best and worst cultures she’s seen, stressing the impact leaders have and advocating for a proactive, top-down approach to culture-building.
Have Clarity About Where You Thrive:
Rachel prefers companies in the “post-product-market fit, pre-scale” phase, where builders and generalists like her can have broad impact. Self-awareness about where you do (and do not) excel is critical in making the right career choices.
Empowered Women Empower Women:
Rachel “pays it forward” by mentoring, writing for aspiring female leaders, participating in women’s leadership events, and striving to foster an inclusive environment—not just within her company, but in her industry at large.
Sponsored by: ClientSuccess and WednesdayWomen
Produced by: Manali Bhat
Listen to the She's So Suite Podcast:
Podcast Episode Overview:
In this inspiring episode of the She So Suite podcast, host Kristi Faltorusso sits down with Rachel Krug, CEO of Virtual Field—the leading innovator in portable ophthalmology technology. Rachel opens up about her fascinating, unconventional journey to the C-suite, starting with a childhood dream of becoming an astronomer and winding through careers in sociology and public health, before ultimately carving her niche as a transformative business leader.
Rachel shares candid insights into the realities behind career advancement, emphasizing that most successful people navigate nonlinear paths and that sometimes you have to do the work at the next level before you receive the formal title. She discusses the challenges of driving change in entrenched industries, and how overcoming status quo bias is a universal hurdle for innovators.
A deeply personal segment reveals how Rachel managed her daughter’s medical crisis at the height of the pandemic, highlighting the critical role of compassionate workplace culture and flexible leadership. Rachel details how these experiences shaped her own approach as a CEO, inspiring her to create an intentional company culture centered on psychological safety, open communication, and genuine work-life balance.
You will appreciate Rachel’s reflections on self-awareness—knowing what environments help you flourish—as well as her passionate commitment to supporting other women on their professional journeys. She advocates for continuous learning, “paying it forward” through mentorship and industry organizations, and building empowered teams that lift one another up.
This episode is a masterclass in resilient leadership, self-discovery, and the power of community—perfect for anyone seeking inspiration or practical tips for advancing their career and fostering stronger workplace cultures.
About Rachel Krug
Rachel Krug is the CEO of Virtual Field, a company that has pioneered virtual visual field testing and transformed the eye exam experience since its inception in 2018. Virtual Field enables thousands of eye care professionals to examine patients more comprehensively and comfortably than ever before. To date, over 2 million visual field, color vision, and pupillometry exams have been conducted using Virtual Field.
With an MA in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University, an MBA from New York University, and a BA in Sociology from Cornell University, Rachel's leadership and expertise in public health, technology, and business strategy is elevating patient care and outcomes, transforming eye care practices and advancing the ophthalmic profession.
A proven leader and innovator, Rachel was previously the Chief Revenue Officer at the e-commerce marketplace Bulletin, where she increased its customer base by 275% and grew its initial order GMV by 685% before the company’s strategic exit. As Vice President of Growth Operations at business.com, a leading online B2B marketplace and news site, she drove significant revenue and customer growth. Earlier, she served as General Manager at Right Networks, a cloud services provider for accounting firms and professionals, where she spearheaded major improvements in sales efficiency, significantly increasing revenue and customer conversion rates.
Timestamps:
00:00 Virtual Field CEO Overview
05:52 From Physics to Public Health
07:21 Career Reflections and Pivotal Moments
13:02 Personal Struggle During COVID Pandemic
17:11 Remote Work's Family Time Blessing
20:23 Building an Intentional Workplace Culture
23:43 Scaling Success in Business Growth
26:31 Passion-Led Career Advancement
30:42 Cross-Functional Innovation Experience
31:31 Thriving in Nimble Business Environments
35:03 Women's Influence in Eye Care
38:33 Balancing Life as a Tired CEO
43:53 Invest in Leadership, Communication, Finance
44:46 Inspired by Rachel's Journey
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